The nitrogen cycle is a continuous series of natural processes by which nitrogen passes through successive stations in air, soil, and organisms involving principally decay, nitrogen fixation, nitrification, and denitrification. The natural fixation of nitrogen as accomplished by lightning has long been recognized as essential to the continuation of plant and animal life. Because of the heavy demands on naturally occurring nitrogen available in farm lands, a depletion of nitrogen from the soil is constantly taking place, thereby requiring constant replacement of nitrogen through the wide use of nitrogen-containing chemical fertilizers.
The fixation of nitrogen from the atmosphere is the first and most important step in the production of nitrogen-containing chemical fertilizers. The method which is currently almost universally employed is the Haber process, which utilizes high temperatures and pressures to catalytically react molecular nitrogen and hydrogen to produce ammonia. A much less widely employed technique is the arc process, in which air is passed through a high power electric arc, to produce oxides of nitrogen. Both processes consume large quantities of energy. The Haber process uses large quantities of natural or petroleum gas to obtain the requisite high temperatures. This process also requires gaseous hydrogen, which is usually prepared electrolytically. The arc process consumes vast quantities of electrical power. In addition, non-replaceable resources are consumed.
An object of this invention is to provide a device to effect fixation of atmospheric nitrogen utilizing the high temperatures of plasmas.
A further object of this invention is to provide a method for fixation of nitrogen utilizing the very high temperatures and rapid quenching of plasma produced by the focused beam of a repetitively-pulsed, high energy laser.